6.0°C > 10.0°C: Always cloudy with periods of low overcast and a few with mainly higher cloud. At least the forecast spell of rain did not materialize. Almost calm. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 07:44 GMT
+ = my first sighting of this species at this site this year.
++ = new species for me at this site.
* = a species photographed today
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:00 – 09:20
(242nd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- A bigger than usual arrival of large gulls with 164 Lesser Black-backs and 10 Herrings from the West around 07:10 – 07:20. Thereafter a small movement overhead both North and South with a few breaking off for a wash and brush-up. Almost all the Herring Gulls diverted in, an adult Yellow-legged Gull with them again, as yesterday.
- Single Mistle and Song Thrushes were singing alongside Teece Drive at 06:00. The Mistle Thrush was (still?) singing at 09:15. A different Song Thrush was singing along the North side of the lake.
Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 2 Canada Geese: outbound together
- 1 Greylag Goose: inbound
- 2 Goosander: together West
- 1 Stock Dove
- 18 Wood Pigeons
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 56 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 15 Cormorants: a single and groups of five and nine
- 8 Jackdaws
- 4 Rooks
- 1 Starling
- 2 Fieldfares
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 2 Meadow Pipits: an unusual date for these here.
Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:
- c.330 Starling left the north-west reeds in nine groups.
Reed Buntings were again heard calling at the West end for a protracted period: none was seen to leave.
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese: arrived and later departed
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 6 (5♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 46 (27♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 145 Coots
- 1 Little Grebe
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- >220 Black-headed Gulls
- 21 Herring Gulls
- 1 Yellow-legged Gull
- 196 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 5 Cormorants: all arrived as singles: the first departed before any of the others arrived
- 1 Grey Heron: present throughout
The (semi) nocturnal community on or around the street lamp poles at dawn:
Moths:
- 1 November Moth agg. (Epirrita dilutata agg.)
- 1 November Moth agg. (Epirrita dilutata agg.)
Otherwise:
- *3 plumed midges: two male and one female
- *1 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.
- *1 globular springtail, perhaps Dicyrtoma minuta
- 1 springtail Tomocerus vulgaris
- *3 plumed midges: two male and one female
- *1 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.
- *1 globular springtail, perhaps Dicyrtoma minuta
- 1 springtail Tomocerus vulgaris
Spiders and allies:
- *1 male Common Mesh-weaver (Dictyna arundinacea)
- *+2 Nursery Web Spiders (Pisaura mirabilis)
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- 1 harvestmen Paroligolophus agrestis.
Noted later on the Teece Drive fence:
- *1 male Common Mesh-weaver (Dictyna arundinacea)
- *+2 Nursery Web Spiders (Pisaura mirabilis)
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- 1 harvestmen Paroligolophus agrestis.
Noted later on the Teece Drive fence:
Many more individuals; little variety
- 6 Alder Leaf Beetles (Agelastica alni)
- 6 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
New fungus found:
- *Clouded Funnel (Clitocybe nebularis): another big group
- *++probable Purplepore Bracket (Trichaptum abietinum)
- 6 Alder Leaf Beetles (Agelastica alni)
- 6 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
New fungus found:
- *Clouded Funnel (Clitocybe nebularis): another big group
- *++probable Purplepore Bracket (Trichaptum abietinum)
As good as it got.
A globular springtail, perhaps Dicyrtoma minuta.
This fungus is almost certainly Purplepore Bracket (Trichaptum abietinum). The app gave it a 99% rating and reference to the internet indicated that the purple colour, if present, soon fades. It a specialist fungus of fallen conifers which is where I found it.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:25 – 10:25
(226th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Today the Pochard was visible but not the pair of Teal.
- A Song Thrush was again singing intermittently at the top end.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Herring Gull
- 1 Jackdaw
- 2 Siskins
Noted on / around the water:
- 3 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 1 (1♂) Gadwall
- 38 (27♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 47 (22♂) Tufted Duck
- 17 Moorhens
- 46 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 16 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: first winter briefly
- *2 Grey Herons
Noted on / beside the street lamp poles etc. around the water etc.:
Still in the same place for its third morning was this Mottled Umber moth (Erranis defoliaria). As with many winter-flying species of moth the female cannot fly and in this species she is completely wingless. Some females of such moths do have vestigial wings.
Alongside the moth I noted this on the street lamp pole. I assumed a female ichneumon showing her ovipositor. Apparently not so: my app. was insistent this a Braconid parasitic wasp. The Braconid family is closely-related to the Ichneumon family: they tend to be smaller with different detail to the wing venation. Good luck seeing that!
Plane of the day (have I done this one before?). It is a Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP with an appropriate registration for its ownership by the Shropshire Aero Club. They fly out of Sleap Airfield, just South of Wem. It was built in 1999 by Cessna (before it became part of Textron) at their factory in Independence, Kansas and imported in April of that year. After a few weeks with importer it has been with the aero club ever since.
(Ed Wilson)
Sightings from previous years without links are below
2013
Priorslee Lake
8 Wigeon
6 Gadwall
4 Teal
2 Shoveler
2 Pochard
116 Tufted Duck
2 Water Rails
222 Coots
1 Snipe
c.90 Lapwing over
4 Yellow-legged gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
A Ring-billed x Lesser Black-backed Gull hybrid
134 Fieldfare
22 Redwings
171 Jackdaws
3 Ravens
3 Siskins
3 Redpolls
(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood/JW Reeves)
Horsehay Pool
Caspian Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
1 Kingfisher
12 Goosander
Raven
(JW Reeves)
2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall
8 Pochard
24 Tufted Ducks
152 Coots
8 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)
2008
Priorslee Lake
8 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
56 Greylag Geese
12 Pochard
187 Tufted Duck
1 Goosander
2 Water Rails
149 Coot
c.800 Black-headed
c.2200 Lesser Black-backed
<20 Herring Gulls
1st winter Common Gull
50 Redwings
8 Fieldfare
1 Treecreeper
c.1000 Starlings left a roost
c.20 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
23 Greylag Geese
27 Pochard
55 Tufted Ducks
3 Buzzards
>1650 Black-headed Gull
>4022 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
246 Wood Pigeons
1 Kingfisher
26 Robins
27 Blackbirds
4 Fieldfares
34 Redwings
male Blackcap
1 Willow Tit
246 Jackdaws
160 Rooks
8 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:25 – 10:25
(226th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Today the Pochard was visible but not the pair of Teal.
- A Song Thrush was again singing intermittently at the top end.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Herring Gull
- 1 Jackdaw
- 2 Siskins
Noted on / around the water:
- 3 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 1 (1♂) Gadwall
- 38 (27♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 47 (22♂) Tufted Duck
- 17 Moorhens
- 46 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 16 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: first winter briefly
- *2 Grey Herons
Noted on / beside the street lamp poles etc. around the water etc.:
Moths:
- *1 male Mottled Umber (Erranis defoliaria)
- 1 Sprawler (Asteroscopus sphinx): now into its sixteenth day
Again neither moth seemed to have moved.
- *1 male Mottled Umber (Erranis defoliaria)
- 1 Sprawler (Asteroscopus sphinx): now into its sixteenth day
Again neither moth seemed to have moved.
Also
- *++1 female species of Braconid parasitic wasp.
Noted elsewhere around The Flash:
- *++1 female species of Braconid parasitic wasp.
Noted elsewhere around The Flash:
Bees / wasps etc.:
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris): two
Nothing else in dull conditions, not even a fly.
New groups of fungus found:
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris): two
Nothing else in dull conditions, not even a fly.
New groups of fungus found:
None
Remarkably tame. I know I have a 12 times zoom but this was how it came off the camera. I was that close.
It is no good you trying to hide beside the other bridge: there are fewer sticks to get behind.
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.
2013
Priorslee Lake
8 Wigeon
6 Gadwall
4 Teal
2 Shoveler
2 Pochard
116 Tufted Duck
2 Water Rails
222 Coots
1 Snipe
c.90 Lapwing over
4 Yellow-legged gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
A Ring-billed x Lesser Black-backed Gull hybrid
134 Fieldfare
22 Redwings
171 Jackdaws
3 Ravens
3 Siskins
3 Redpolls
(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood/JW Reeves)
Horsehay Pool
Caspian Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
1 Kingfisher
12 Goosander
Raven
(JW Reeves)
2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall
8 Pochard
24 Tufted Ducks
152 Coots
8 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)
2008
Priorslee Lake
8 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
56 Greylag Geese
12 Pochard
187 Tufted Duck
1 Goosander
2 Water Rails
149 Coot
c.800 Black-headed
c.2200 Lesser Black-backed
<20 Herring Gulls
1st winter Common Gull
50 Redwings
8 Fieldfare
1 Treecreeper
c.1000 Starlings left a roost
c.20 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
23 Greylag Geese
27 Pochard
55 Tufted Ducks
3 Buzzards
>1650 Black-headed Gull
>4022 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
246 Wood Pigeons
1 Kingfisher
26 Robins
27 Blackbirds
4 Fieldfares
34 Redwings
male Blackcap
1 Willow Tit
246 Jackdaws
160 Rooks
8 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)